Portland Health adds Judith Moore to senior team

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Judith Moore

Healthcare media relations strategist, Judith Moore, joins Portland Health as an associate director.

Previously Moore held roles with the UK Government, global PR agencies – such as Chandler Chicco Agency and Burson-Marsteller – and with universities.

As the public health minister’s media spokesperson, Moore has provided guidance around a number of controversial health issues such as obesity, immunisation, smoking and alcohol. This included major national campaigns such as Change4Life and Stoptober.

Dr Jane Brearley, partner and head of health at Portland, said: “I am delighted to welcome Judith to our senior team. Her media knowledge, strategic insights and her ability to create compelling stories will complement our existing client work and add real value across the wider business. We are committed to investing in the future of Portland Health and will continue to hire exceptional people as we build the team both here in the UK and in New York.”

Moore added: “The healthcare communications environment has a number of unique challenges that the breadth of Portland expertise is able to support. In particular, our deep knowledge of the political environment means we can help support clients through the healthcare technology assessment process.”

Portland specialises in reputation management, digital engagement, branding and public affairs advice for major corporations, governments, and international organisations. Portland Health supports organisations in the health and wellbeing, pharmaceutical and social care sectors.

In May, 2016, Portland hired Dr Brendan Murphy as director, in order to establish and grow its medical education offering.

Redleaf among Insurance PR Awards winners

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Redleaf Communications’ campaign with the Chartered Insurance Institute was among the winners of the Insurance Marketing and PR Awards which are held by Insurance Post and Insurance Age to recognise communicators who operate in the insurance industry.

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Banking Hall, the venue for the Insurance Marketing and PR Awards

The Insurance Marketing and PR Awards recognised insurance providers, and the teams and agencies who handle their communications, across 14 categories.

On the night, the ‘B2B Marketing Campaign of the Year’ category was won by Crawford & Crawford for its Engage Through Education campaign, and the ‘Research/Public Affairs Campaign of the Year’ award was won by Axa and its #AXAChildSeat campaign.

Other wins included Co-operative Insurance in ‘The ‘Marketing/PR Team of the Year’ category, and Dave Mann, who works as marketing manager at Towergate Insurance, and won the ‘Young Marketer/PR Employee of the Year’ award.

The awards were preceded by a conference during the day and took place on 10 June at Banking Hall in London.

White Paper: Analysis best practice and the key to proving PR success

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Analysis white paperThis White Paper, written ahead of the 2016 AMEC Summit, by Gorkana’s head of insight, Paul Hender, looks at analysis best practice in PR and how you can use it to make your comms more effective.

As measurement becomes increasingly important for PR, the study will describe how to implement a robust measurement programme in your campaign by focusing on clear objectives from the beginning.

Additionally, with the help of case studies from award-winning work with the Stroke Association and Nesta, it shows how to use analysis to prove campaign successes and ROI.

With Measurement Month happening globally in September, the timing has never been better for taking an in-depth look at analysis best practice and ensuring that you can prove your PR successes.

Download the White Paper here to find out more.

What fewer education reporters means for PRs

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BBC education correspondent, Sean Coughlan, recently published an opinion piece on the international education and innovation title WISE ed.review, which argues that there are fewer reporters in the education sector and this means that “deserving” stories do not always get covered. Gorkana asks PRs from Catherine Lane and Mango Marketing what this means for PRs in the education sector.

Earlier this month, Coughlan, the BBC education correspondent, wrote about the challenges education journalists face. He said: “There are fewer journalists writing about education, they have less time, they’re less well funded, they have smaller budgets. There are exceptions to this – and it’s different in different parts of the media – but the long term, broader picture is of less time, more stories.”

He also described the interest in the sector from PRs and how difficult it was to deal with all the information he was sent: “As a meeting ended last week, I looked at my mobile phone and saw that 105 emails had arrived since the meeting had begun. Almost all of these were from public relations firms promoting ideas for stories.

“Doubtless many of these ideas will be good ones, deserving to be brought to a wider public. Many of these will be projects into which much time and money will have been invested. But there’s barely time to even scan the email before another information flash flood begins.”

So, how do PRs in the education sector deal with increased competition for attention and where can they make opportunities to further raise exposure for stories?

Make use of influencers

Sue Murray, director at education specialist Mango Marketing, explained that for both journalists and PR professionals, knowing your sector, contacts and network is everything. She said: “Fostering relationships with influencers in the sector means you know who you can go to if you need a comment quickly, and platforms like Twitter help enormously with this.

“Use it as a tool to build your network, and to build goodwill amongst your influencers and it will pay dividends; your followers will help you find people to interview if you need to expand your contacts. The more you engage with people on Twitter, the more influential your profile becomes.”

Look out for alternative channels

Catherine Lane, head of PR at Catherine Lane PR which has worked with education brands including GL Education Group, said changes in publishing has meant key education titles have invested in alternative ways of engaging with audiences.

“Key education titles have invested in engaging online content to fill in this gap and the teacher blogger, forums and Twitter communities are some of the most active professional communities in the UK.”

She added: “Many education events are thriving and the education associations that the teaching community belong to have no plans to disappear. All of these provide alternative channels that help PR professionals get their message out to their communities, if you approach them in the right way.”

A journalist’s view:

Jonathan Swift, editor at Education Today magazine, says that he has seen the trend in his experience and that in this case the role of PR becomes more prominent. He said: “In regards to the reduction in sector media titles, I think this is broadly true. My experience is maybe slightly more limited given I have tended to focus on the one magazine, but one thing I have noticed is that there are fewer journalists around when I go to education press events. A few seem to have moved into the blogosphere but many others have disappeared.”

He added: “I think the role of the experienced PR becomes more important in such times, when the pressure is on to hit deadlines and deliver a credible product, the sensible journalist will build a network of PRs he or she can rely on to help with copy.”

AMEC 2016: Annual summit set to open in London

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The Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) is set to launch its annual International Summit in London this week (15-16 June).

With Gorkana as headline sponsor, the conference gives attendees the opportunity to discuss the latest developments, learning and new ideas in communications measurement.

On Wednesday, the event will  host a range of senior level speakers from the likes of Visa Europe, UNICEF, Hilton, Microsoft and more. Speakers are set to discuss a range of topics, including how metrics can draw the attention of senior management, how to integrate them into your campaigns and how to deliver results.

Thursday’s event will include workshops that explain and examine how measurement is put into practice. At 7:30pm that evening, the AMEC Awards 2016 will be held and will recognise the best of communications research and analytics from around the world.

The summit is taking place at Hilton London Bankside, 2-8 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0UH from 8am – 8:30pm on Wednesday and Thursday (with registration today) and the AMEC Awards are taking place at 8 Northumberland Avenue, Central London, from 7:30pm onwards on 16 June.

British Wool Marketing Board appoints Wolfstar

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Leeds-based PR and social media specialist Wolfstar has been appointed by the central marketing organisation for UK fleece wool, British Wool Marketing Board, to deliver an integrated PR and digital campaign for its education website, British Wool Learning.

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Wolfstar has been briefed to increase awareness of British Wool Learning among teachers, parents and club organisers and drive traffic to the website via traditional outreach, blogging, SEO and PPC.

Tim Booth, the British Wool Marketing Board’s marketing manager, said: “Wolfstar has the experience and knowledge to raise awareness of British Wool Learning amongst key target audiences and drive traffic to the site.

“The site is an important asset and plays a vital role in telling the story of wool.  Wolfstar will be a great asset to the team and we’re looking forward to working with them.”

Marie Lees, director at Wolfstar, added: “Wolfstar has extensive experience at raising awareness of websites and most importantly increasing traffic, making the British Wool Learning brief a perfect fit for us.”

Wolfstar’s head of design, Caroline Ing was responsible for concept and design of The British Wool Learning website.

Citypress names social media lead

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PR, digital and creative comms agency Citypress has brought in Golin London’s Ruth Clifford as director of social media.

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Ruth Clifford

Clifford joins Citypress’ Manchester HQ from Golin London, where she was a digital director, leading social media programmes for brands including Toblerone, Unilever, Johnnie Walker and Great Western Railway.

With more than seven years’ experience, Clifford will be responsible for expanding the agency’s specialist social media team, which includes designers, photographers, copywriters and analysts.

Charles Tattersall, chief executive of Citypress, said: “Ruth’s appointment is another significant investment in our social capabilities. Her experience of leading ground-breaking campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands means we’re better equipped than ever before to support clients as an integrated partner, helping them create high-quality, engaging content that has real impact against business objectives.”

Clifford added: “Social media is first and foremost about great content and that’s what attracted me to Citypress: we’re already creating industry-leading, cross-channel content for some of the best brands in the world.

“I’m hugely excited about strengthening the strategic social offering of the agency – working with a team of expert social designers, copy writers and creatives. I’m looking forward to helping clients seize the opportunities that strategic and innovative social campaigns can deliver.”

As well as Manchester, Citypress has offices in Birmingham, London and Edinburgh.

The FA’s Joanne Budd to join Crystal Palace FC as PR head

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Crystal Palace Football Club has appointed The Football Association’s Joanne Budd as head of PR and media relations.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JUNE 10: Roy Hodgson manager of England walks into the pitch for inspection on the eve of the EURO 2016 Group B match between England and Russia at Stade Velodrome on June 10, 2016 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Joanne Budd, pictured with England manager Roy Hodgson (far right) on the eve of the EURO 2016 Group B match between England and Russia at Stade Velodrome on 10 June 2016

Budd is currently head of media operations at The Football Association, where she has worked on the organisation’s public-facing comms activity for more than two decades.

She joins Crystal Palace in August ahead of the new Premier League season, and after this summer’s European Championships in France, where she is currently managing media operations for Roy Hodgson and the England squad.

During her career at The Football Association, Joanne has managed media and PR activity around the England senior men’s team for the last ten World Cups and European Championships, the re-opening of Wembley Stadium, UEFA Champions League Finals and the FA’s 150th anniversary.

Steve Parish, Crystal Palace chairman, said: “Joanne has a wealth of experience at the top level of the game and she will be a tremendous addition to the team.”

This appointment is a return to the club for Budd, who worked for six years under previous managers Steve Coppell and Alan Smith in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the team was promoted to the top-flight, appeared in an FA Cup Final at Wembley and won the Zenith Data Systems Cup.

Budd said: “I am really looking forward to returning to Palace and the opportunity of working in the Premier League. I’m sure there are going to be some great times ahead for the club.”

The Brandman Agency adds La Mamounia to UK portfolio

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Luxury travel and lifestyle comms agency The Brandman Agency has been chosen to handle the PR for luxury Marrakech-based hotel La Mamounia in the UK and Ireland.

Entrance Facade La Mamounia Hotel, Marrakech, Morocco. Photo by Alan Keohane www.still-images.net for La Mamounia

Located in the heart of Marrakech, Morocco, La Mamounia has welcomed the likes of Winston Churchill and Princess Caroline of Monaco as guests since its opening in 1923.

The Brandman Agency’s London office has been briefed to raise La Mamounia’s profile and enhance its reputation through digital and industry influencers, as well as high profile brand advocates.

The agency’s flagship office in New York also manages the PR for La Mamounia in the North American market, following its appointment in 2009.

Lizzie Morrison, MD of The Brandman Agency in London, said: “We are hugely excited about this new partnership and are thrilled to welcome La Mamounia to our ever-growing client base. La Mamounia is such an iconic brand with a renowned heritage and illustrious guest list, and we look forward to working closely with the team to further raise the hotel’s profile in the UK and Irish markets.

“As an agency, we now offer a seamless global reach for La Mamounia, with one voice across both sides of the Atlantic.”

James Herring: How to perfect the PR stunt

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Ahead of his talk on Zen and the art of the publicity stunt at Cannes Lions next week, James Herring, owner at Taylor Herring, talks about the value of stunts, how a good stunt can benefit a wider PR campaign and how to make something memorable.

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James Herring

Which publicity-generating event, that you’ve not been involved in, has grabbed your attention and why?

KFC Hong Kong created two edible nail polishes – bringing the classic tagline, “Finger Lickin’ Good,” to life. The polish flavors (featuring a secret mix of 11 secret herbs and spices) are based on the brand’s two favourite recipes, Original and Hot & Spicy.

It’s not the first time the chain has grabbed attention by doing the unexpected and generating an enormous amount of publicity at a very modest cost.

In your view, what is a publicity stunt, when is it a good thing to do and how does it sit within a wider PR strategy?

Done well – a publicity stunt is an audacious piece of attention-seeking, earned media that stops people in their tracks, delivers a thunderclap of social media chatter and a ton of media coverage.

In our new ad-blockable, ad-skippable world – it’s a great way to cut through the clutter and an especially useful tactic for challenger brands – those that can’t afford to spend their way into the public consciousness with TV spots, homepage takeovers and cover wraps, and need to get things going quickly.

What are the big dos and don’ts when attempting a stunt?

Dos: Stunts need to be entertaining and engaging, but they must also be rooted in a coherent narrative that integrates with the rest of the marketing message.

Don’ts: Most stunts necessitate a strong picture and video element – and if that’s the case you need to resist the temptation to kill them with corporate branding. Credit the audience and media with some intelligence and respect. Great campaigns prompt people to learn more – they will want to know ‘who did this, and why?’

What makes a stunt memorable?

People love audacity, originality, bravery and of course they love to be entertained. The best stunt marketing is both audacious and bold – the greater the risk the greater the return.

Is a stunt only suitable for consumer-facing brands?

Used appropriately it’s a tactic that can be deployed by anyone – from governments and public bodies, to charities, causes and B2B.

Has social brought about a new age or new opportunity for experience-led campaigns?

Undoubtedly. The one question you will hear being asked countless times a day in our boardroom is ‘Will people share this?’ – the answer to that question has to be a solid ‘yes’ to justify client investment, and there are few better agency buzzes than having a trending story on Twitter.

What are you most looking forward to at Cannes this year from a PR perspective?

There are some great talks in the line-up, including the likes of Sir John Hegarty, Harvey Weinstein, Anna Wintour, Oliver Stone and Simon Pegg.

My festival highlight is taking time out to browse the thousands of competition entries and getting inspired with some fresh thinking for the year ahead.

How is The Poke? Having set up the site in 2002, what’s the most valuable lesson it has taught you?

It’s doing well thanks!

Just passed the two million fans on social media mark, working on a pilot for the BBC and currently raising investment for the next stage.

The project really helped hone our skills in thinking more like a publisher when devising campaigns. We craft the copy and hone the angles so writers can find lots of routes into a story that would work for their audience. The huge opportunity is in video content that can deliver the deeper client messaging (that a journalist is NEVER going to write exactly as you would like them to). Pretty much all our work includes a click-worthy video and strong picture assets.

  • James Herring and Peter Mountstevens from Taylor Herring present ‘Zen And the Art Of The Publicity Stunt’ at 1pm, Saturday 18th June, Debussy Theatre, Palais De Festival, Cannes Lions